Melanoma Program Project Summary / Abstract Preclinical and clinical researchers in the Melanoma Program advance the Program mission to study all aspects of melanoma and translate the findings into actionable diagnostic, preventative, and therapeutic opportunities that will improve the lives of patients and contribute to our understanding of the disease. The Specific Aims of the Program are: 1) To understand the molecular pathogenesis of melanoma, including genomics, epigenomics, metabolomics, and utilize this information for optimal therapeutic targeting; 2) To understand tumor-host interactions and utilize this information to optimize therapeutic strategies that target the tumor microenvironment; and 3) To understand the external environmental factors that modulate melanoma risk and carcinogenesis, as well as the human behaviors associated with melanoma formation. The program has 44 members, representing six DF/HCC institutions and seven academic departments. In 2014 peer- reviewed grant funding attributed to the Program was $3.7 million in total costs from the NCI and $1.6 million from other sponsors. During the current funding period, Melanoma Program members published 873 cancer- relevant papers. Of these 30% were inter-institutional, 21% were intra-programmatic, and 39% were inter- programmatic collaborations between two or more DF/HCC members. Overall, when counted once, 27% of DF/HCC publications were inter-programmatic collaborations.